The government has requested Shs23Bn to enhance facilitation for Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and address the shortage of administrative infrastructure across the country.
This appeal was made by Alex Byarugaba, Chairperson of the Presidential Affairs Committee, on Wednesday, 22 January 2025, during the presentation of the 2025/26 budget report for the Office of the President to Parliament’s Budget Committee.
In accounting for this money, Byarugaba explained to the committee that Shs6.20Bn was required to close the funding gap for RDC facilitation, while an additional Shs2.8Bn annually was necessary for the phased construction of five RDC offices each financial year.
“With only Shs700M allocated annually, it will take the government over 100 years to complete the construction of RDC offices. This funding is critical to resolving the office accommodation challenge in the medium term,” he stated.
Byarugaba reaffirmed the role of RDCs in monitoring government projects and mobilizing communities towards socio-economic transformation.
He defended the proposed funding, citing the constitutional mandate of the presidency to ensure effective and efficient service delivery as outlined in Articles 98 and 99 of the Constitution.
However, Kira Municipality MP Ssemujju Nganda raised concerns about the growing financial burden associated with RDCs, particularly the increasing appointments.
“You recently got another 500 appointed; now you want offices. When will this end?” he questioned.
Ssemujju criticized the expansion of RDCs, suggesting a reduction in their numbers to match the original district structure.
“We can have 39 RDCs like it was before, instead of over 600. These continuous appointments are unsustainable and inflate the budget unnecessarily,” he added.
This proposal, though justified by the need to support RDCs in their constitutional role of monitoring government projects and driving socio-economic transformation, faces concerns about the growing financial burden and the sustainability of expanding RDC numbers.
